A grand opening was held today for the first of Energy Alternative Solutions Inc.’s (EASI) seven planned California biodiesel plants. The Watsonville, Calif.-based company hailed the opening of its 1 MMgy plant in Gonzales.

Kahului, Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel began construction on the plant in October. EASI President and CEO Richard Gillis told BiodieselMagazine.com in November that the plant will be scaled up to 3 MMgy after it begins production in January 2007.

The $1.3 million, 10,000-square foot plant will use a combination of virgin vegetable oils and recycled cooking oil as feedstock. “We want to create a community-based, closed-loop system in which we draw upon local, renewable resources such as crops and restaurant oil to produce biofuel for the local community,” Gillis said.

EASI is privately held and was founded in March 2006. Gillis said the company intends to distribute its fuel through local distributors including Coast Oil Co. LLC.

EASI’s corporate fact sheet indicates the company is planning at least six more plants in the next five years with a combined capacity of 25 MMgy. The company’s next project is being planned in Watsonville, Calif.

Imperial Western Products is the California’s largest biodiesel producer, with an 8 MMgy plant in Coachella, Calif. Imperial is also the state’s only BQ-9000 accredited producer. BQ-9000 is the biodiesel industry’s voluntary fuel quality assurance program.


Dave Nilles is Online Editor for Biodiesel Magazine. Reach him at dnilles@bbibiofuels.com or (701) 373-0636.

Posted: 4:15 p.m. CST Friday December 1, 2006